ICBA Urges Policymakers to Continue to Support Local Communities Served by Community Development Financial Institutions

Washington, D.C. (Oct. 11, 2025) - Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on actions to dismantle the Community Development Financial Institution Fund.

"ICBA is concerned about the economic impact eliminating the CDFI Fund would have on the local communities that CDFIs serve. Hampering the work of CDFIs would threaten the financial well-being of rural communities that rely on CDFIs to access capital, build businesses, and create opportunity.

"While all community banks are the economic engines of local communities, CDFI community banks are uniquely positioned to serve rural areas, and the successful CDFI Fund ensures CDFIs can serve these hard-to-reach communities. In a recent five-year period, CDFIs financed more than 252,000 small businesses to create or maintain over 2.2 million jobs, and they provided more than $28 billion in loans and investments in a single year.

"Notably, a recent Treasury review determined that the CDFI Fund is performing its statutory functions as required by law.

"CDFIs are trusted partners in neighborhoods across the country, and their work continues to have strong bipartisan support from Congress. We call on policymakers to ensure the work of the CDFI Fund can continue uninterrupted."

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America® has one mission: to create and promote an environment where community banks flourish. We power the potential of the nation's community banks through effective advocacy, education, and innovation.

As local and trusted sources of credit, America's community banks leverage their relationship-based business model and innovative offerings to channel deposits into the neighborhoods they serve, creating jobs, fostering economic prosperity, and fueling their customers' financial goals and dreams. For more information, visit ICBA's website at icba.org.